STATE-OF-THE-ART STATION
New Windsor Fire digs has it all
The city continued a years-long plan to enhance emergency services across Windsor on Tuesday with the official opening of a new west-end fire station. Construction of Fire Station No. 5 was part of a process launched in 2014 to replace facilities that were four or five decades old and no longer in ideal locations.
“Part of the plan was to consolidate and reposition the trucks and the stations to make our response times more efficient,” said chief fire prevention officer John Lee. Mayor Drew Dilkens and fire Chief Stephen Laforet cut the ceremonial ribbon Tuesday morning for the station at 2650 Northwood St.
“The safety and security of our residents is of paramount concern to me as mayor and to my colleagues on city council,” said Dilkens. “While our old facility on Cabana served us well for many years, it was located a significant distance away from many of the homes and businesses that it needed to serve.” Construction on the fire station began in August 2016. Most of the work was done by October 2017. The 9,644-square-foot building is designed to be a “post disaster” structure that can function in a variety of emergency events. Lee said the station has reinforced construction and power backups.
“We’re able to operate even if everything fails,” he said. “So there are fallback measures for everything in the building.”
The new No. 5 follows construction of Stations 2, 6 and 7. It is partly modelled after Fire Station No. 7 on Matthew Brady Boulevard, and has three truck bays and living quarters for up to nine firefighters and three captains. The facility also has an equipment extractor, to remove toxins, that will service platoons from all western fire stations.
“The best way to describe it is a commercial washing machine,” said Lee. “The gear is now cleaned after every fire. It takes all the toxins and carbon out of the gear.” But unlike most other fire stations, the facility sits in an area that is home to the at-risk Butler’s Garter Snake, which required some special measures during construction.
More than 70 snakes were relocated before construction began. Barricade fencing was also erected, and workers were trained to spot species at risk.
The design also incorporates a “more natural style of brick” to complement the environment around the station. A storm-water drainage area was also created to reduce impact on the existing habitat.